Harkers Island

[KD3Y]

The Harkers Island fire department is now on air!

Attached are the share-approved photos of the antenna, and screen grabs of the SWR charts and TDR.

 

As a part of Carteret County Amateur Radio Society partnership with the County Emergency Services, an amateur station was installed at the Harkers Island Fire Department last week by members of our eComs team.  Now the FD has the ability to talk with the Emergency Operations Center in Morehead City via the local repeater or via simplex during an emergency if the county system goes down.  The Fire Department was able to give us a lift to the top of the 50 foot mast with their fire truck.

 

One of the missions of the Carteret County Amateur Radio Society's missions is to place a ham station at all our rural fire departments as a "Plan B" communications in the event of a catastrophic storm.   Many areas of our community are rural and/or remote.  In the case f the Harers Island Station, the Island is connected to the mainline by a two lane bridge across the sound.  In the event of a major storm, that bridge may be washed out and flooded, leaving the only helicopter to get supplies/aid to the Island for awhile.

An additional communication capabilities with the mainland and the EOC will benefit the Island if County Communications are overwhelmed or down.